Uncle Gaara
by skyhawk.04
Summary: Gaara is going to be an uncle, but how will he fare? Watch as he stumbles on the road to acceptance, protects his nephew from (mortal) dangers and enlightens Shikadai about his parents' troublesome relationship!
1. Prologue: Letter

**AN: This is another collaboration between me and my sister who is still too lazy to get her own account. Please read and review! Reviews are loved.**

 **Skyhawk's sister: I always think Gaara would be an awesome uncle second only to Uncle Itachi if he lived. Shikadai is too adorable... He is my favourite kid but that's probably because I am biased to the kid of my favourite couple.**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto.**

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It all started out as another busy day for the Godaime Kazekage. Gaara was seated at his desk, diligently reading through mission reports and sifting through the endless piles of paperwork. In fact, he was so engrossed in his work (unlike most Kage) that he hardly sensed the arrival of a messenger hawk, until the bird screeched impatiently to get his attention.

Gaara immediately looked up from the report he was reading. Seeing that the bird hailed from Konohagakure, he wasted no time in removing the letter from its pouch. He quickly tore open the scroll, eager to find out the latest news from Konoha.

 _Kazekage Office_

 _Sunagakure no Sato*_

 _Kaze no Kuni*_

 _Dear Gaara,_

 _Sorry to distract you from your bureaucratic duties, you probably had to put them aside to read this letter. Hope you are not drowning under a sea of paperwork, like Kakashi-san - I mean, Rokudaime-sama - and things are all going well in Suna._

 _As for me, well, a lot of things have been happening recently, that's why you haven't been hearing from us for quite a while. Nonetheless, I'm very happy to tell you what's been keeping us so busy: Temari is pregnant, and we'll be expecting the baby in September._

 _You're probably wondering why I'm writing this letter instead of her - well, actually she's lying on the bed dictating every sentence I write - but she gets very nauseous every time she looks at papers, due to morning sickness or some other strange pregnancy ailment. Oh great, I guess she has fallen asleep now - the baby seems to mess up her sleep schedule quite a fair bit - so now I'm free to ramble whatever I like in this letter._

 _I've always been wondering whether the baby will be a girl or a boy. Temari insists that it's a boy, attributing it to some weird 'maternal instinct' that I apparently don't possess. Though I really don't mind either, sometimes I wish that it's a girl - but hopefully she takes on more from my side, and becomes easier to deal with than her mother… Well, what do you think? Which one do you prefer?_

 _It's really quite troublesome to think of these trivial things, but it seems that when you become a new parent, you automatically start to think about stuff like whether the baby will look more like you or your spouse. If it's a girl, then, I guess I don't mind her looking like a replica of her mother, but I hope that she doesn't like to argue and glare as much - I don't want to deal with two troublesome women all day - and maybe she likes to learn Nara Clan jutsu too. If it's a boy, then, I haven't really given it much thought, perhaps he might just end up a lazy genius like his father, but maybe he can inherit some of his mother's spirit as well? That will be nice._

 _Haish, I guess I have rambled too much, sorry if you find this bothersome to read. Nonetheless, please do find some (official) reason to visit Konoha, and bring some nice food from Suna as well, Temari's been craving them out of homesickness or something._

 _Signing off,_

 _Nara Shikamaru_

Gaara smiled as he finished the letter. A warm feeling enveloped his heart as realisation dawned upon him: he was going to be an uncle! After dismissing the hawk to the aviary, he filed the letter away in his private drawer, all the while thinking of a suitable reply.

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 ***Sunagakure no Sato - The Village Hidden in the Sand**

 ***Kaze no Kuni - Country of Wind**


	2. Chapter 1: First Meeting

**AN: Yay! Here is the first chapter!**

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"Hello Shikadai! I'm your most awesome surrogate uncle - Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be Hokage one day!" Naruto announced enthusiastically, jabbing a finger at his chest, as he introduced himself to the one-month old baby in Temari's arms.

Nara Shikadai had a rather quizzical look on his face, his small brows knotted in confusion as he stared at the strange blond man in front of him. Naruto instantly blanched at his lack of reaction, whining something along the lines of "Why doesn't he acknowledge me… Dattebayo!" before he flashed a megawatt grin at the baby again.

"Oh right! Before I forget…" He hurriedly took his own child from Hinata. "Boruto, meet Shikadai!" He took his son's small hand and gave it a small wave. "You two are definitely going to be good friends, just like your Dads! But you both will be growing up in a very different world, one filled with peace and love, so better have lots of fun, the occasional prank on adults is fine, as long as it doesn't involve your parents!" Naruto then rambled on about how he is going to keep making the shinobi world a better place when he becomes Hokage, while the two babies stared at each other blankly.

"Enough! You have taken too much time, Naruto!" Yamanaka Ino pompously shoved Naruto aside. "Hello there Shikadai," She cooed lovingly at the baby. "I'm your Auntie Ino, and this is your 'brother' Inojin." She took her baby's hand for a small wave, similar to what Naruto had done with Boruto. "You boys will be part of the next generation of Ino-Shika-Chou, so better get along well with each other! You must learn your shadow jutsu properly, otherwise Inojin will have a hard time getting his Shintenshin no Jutsu* to work…" She then went on about the legacy he will be inheriting from the previous Ino-Shika-Chou, as well as the importance of the tri-family pact.

Inojin stared curiously at his Nara counterpart, probably used to his mother's constant nagging. Meanwhile, Shikadai decided he was too bored with listening to things he did not understand, and yawned loudly, effectively cutting Ino off.

"Haish, you're just like your father, aren't you?" Ino let out an exasperated sigh. "You better not inherit his annoying catchphrase, and learn more from your mother! After all, your grandpa Shikaku-san used to say that men are useless without women."

"Hey, Ino, do you have anything else to say?" Akimichi Chouji asked kindly. "ChoCho needs to meet Shikadai too!" Ino quickly shook her head and stepped aside, signalling to the Akimichi family that she had nothing else to say.

"Hey there Shikadai, I'm Uncle Chouji, this is ChoCho and that's Auntie Karui," Chouji smiled good-naturedly as he introduced his family. "Well, I guess Auntie Ino already said everything there is to say about Ino-Shika-Chou, so I don't think I have anything else to add. I just hope that you will be good friends with ChoCho, even though you may not talk to her much since she's a girl. But your father and I became the best of friends with Auntie Ino, so I guess it should be no problem."

"Shika-niisan*! Mari-neesan*!" A high, chirpy voice called out jovially. The adults immediately parted; a small girl with black hair and large red eyes ran past them. Shikamaru smiled at her as she leapt into his arms.

"Wow, Mirai, you're getting heavy." Shikamaru remarked as he hoisted her up so she can have a better view of the baby.

"Is that my otoutou*, Shika-niisan?" Mirai asked. Shikamaru nodded. "He's so cute! I can't wait until he gets older so I can play with him… I can teach him stuff when he's about to go to the Academy… I will learn how to use Papa's chakra knives so I can protect him from bad guys..."

"Mirai!" Kurenai finally caught up with her energetic daughter. "How many times do I have to remind you? Shika-niisan and Mari-neesan are married, so you have to call them Uncle and Auntie now."

Gaara shifted uncomfortably from his position in the corner of the room, swinging his cup absentmindedly in his hand. When he thought about it, it was pretty ironic that all the surrogate uncles and aunties were swarming around the baby, while he - the _real_ uncle - hid in a corner. No, it wasn't the case that he treasured his nephew less than anyone else, he was just busy thinking of what to say to the newborn.

After hearing the meaningful (and sometimes superfluous) mini-speeches from the surrogate relatives and Shikadai's self-assigned elder sister, he was even more stressed out and embarrassed by his lack of preparation. When he first received the invitation, he was overjoyed and hurriedly procured some gifts, before leaving for Konoha with Kankuro. Throughout the journey, he thought all he had to do was to congratulate his sister and brother-in-law, meet his nephew and catch up with his old friends.

So it was no surprise that he was giving way to the surrogate relatives while he hung back, thinking about what to say. From what he heard, this type of speeches must sound innocent but not childish, sweet but nevertheless genuine, and highlight the important connection between the baby and the speaker. That was a tall order for several sentences.

"Oi! All you surrogate people are taking too much time! I'm the real uncle down here!" Gaara's musings were interrupted as he watched Kankuro reprimand the 'surrogate people' indignantly. A small smile unconsciously formed on his face, his brother was only so eager when it came to new puppets.

"Long time no see, Neesan! Since I'm the real uncle, you will let me hold my nephew right?" Kankuro was obviously trying to flaunt his special 'uncle privilege' - which he hoped exists - to make the surrogates feel jealous.

"Okay… Be careful with him! Don't scare him or do anything funny…" Temari was full of reminders as she carefully handed over the small bundle to Kankuro. Gaara felt a slight twinge of envy that his elder brother got to hold their nephew before him, it only meant that Kankuro had already planned out what to say.

"Hai, hai, seriously, I'm your otoutou and you don't trust me with my own nephew?" Kankuro questioned indignantly as he steadied the delicate bundle in his hands. Temari merely glared at him but said nothing. Gaara couldn't help but chuckle at his elder siblings' attempts to frustrate each other. It was rare for them to be speaking so familiarly to each other, and it reminded Gaara of the times when the three of them went on missions together as one unit.

"Hello Shikadai, I'm your Uncle Kankuro, and I'm the real deal, unlike all of those surrogate people you met earlier. I hail from the faraway village of Sunagakure - that's where your mother came from - so you won't be seeing me very often. Pity, but who told your mother to run away with a Konoha shinobi?"

"Kankuro! Stop telling Shikadai lies!"

"C'mon, you know I'm only joking. Still, Shikadai, I hope you don't forget where half of your family come from, and perhaps you can grow to love the wind and the desert… The greenery in Konoha is nice, but it's nothing compared to the sunset in Suna! I'll definitely show you around when you're old enough to visit us."

"Oh, I almost forgot! Actually you have another uncle, I've tried searching for him just now but he disappeared… he's probably too shy to meet you, the formidable Kazekage seems to be afraid of the most innocent of things…"

It was then that Gaara felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned and was surprised to see Shikamaru, his brother-in-law.

"Hey there Gaara, don't you want to meet your nephew as well?" Shikamaru asked kindly. "You don't have to give a terribly touching speech… just do a better job than Kankuro." He ended with a chuckle. Gaara felt encouraged by Shikamaru, and stepped out of the corner.

"Ah, looks like he's finally here! There you go, Gaara." With that, his elder brother unceremoniously handed their nephew to Gaara. He stiffened up instinctively at the delicate bundle in his arms. After Shikadai settled down, Gaara took the time to have his first proper look at his nephew.

In his honest opinion, Gaara couldn't decide whether Shikadai is Shikamaru with Temari's eyes, or Temari with Shikamaru's hair. The baby seemed to give off an aura of easygoing laziness, and was unusually calm even when surrounded by strangers. Grateful that he didn't express any hint of fear, Gaara cleared his throat to speak.

"Hello Shikadai, I'm Gaara, your _real_ uncle, that is, your mother's brother…" Gaara heaved a sigh of relief when he finished introducing himself. It was short and straightforward. "You probably won't see me around as often as your surrogate uncles and aunties, since I'm from another village far away from Konoha… But I promise to visit you whenever I can, watch you grow up, shower you with love, just like how my own uncle did when I was young… what a twist of fate, he's also my mother's younger brother!" He smiled as he recalled happy memories of Yashamaru. In his mind's eye, he saw Yashamaru chasing after him down the empty streets of Suna, during a simpler time when the pain and loneliness of being a Jinchuuriki had yet to catch up with him. For some reason, the blond man and red-haired boy gradually transformed into a red-haired man and a boy with a spiky black ponytail. "Because you are part of my family, and you are a precious to me."

Gaara paused to think of more innocent things to say, when Shikamaru's first letter suddenly came to mind. "Since you're a boy, looks like your mother was right…" He instantly felt awkward and rather daft for stating the obvious, so he decided to hurry along. "She's right about a lot of things, so better listen to her… try not to make her angry, though I doubt she can stay angry at you for long… After all, you have her beautiful eyes." Of course, Gaara knew better than to leave Shikamaru out. "You kinda look like your father, so I hope you can grow up to be like him too - a smart, loyal and kind man who never hesitates to lend a hand to comrades in need. He's probably gonna give you advice about… uh… troublesome things… so do keep them in mind!" He figured he was probably taking too much time, so he wrapped up with a few extra reminders. "That being said, I also hope you don't inherit or emulate your mother's temper and her glares… Your father's laziness and catchphrase should also be something that you ought to keep away from… But I hope you can become an outstanding shinobi like both your parents, and as your uncle, I believe in you!"

Little did he know what would become of his reminders, four years down the road.

TBC...

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 _*Shitenshin no Jutsu - Mind Body Switch Technique_

 _*Niisan - Older brother_

 _*Neesan- Older sister_

 _*Otoutou - Younger brother_

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 **AN: I'll try to update weekly or something like that. There aren't many chapters so you all don't have to wait for super long. We have the whole story written out so don't worry about us abandoning this piece halfway or something. We just post slower so that we can get more feedback from you readers on how is the story to make the story better for everybody. So, please review! Tune in again to find out what happens four years later!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Market Chase

**AN: Hi all, here's a new chapter! Before we start, we would like to clarify some stuff about our story. We wrote this story to explore Gaara's _relationship_ with Shikadai, so we won't be elaborating much about Shikadai's abilities other than the usual Nara Clan jutsu and abilities. That's because we would like to stay true to canon, and so far Shikadai doesn't do anything else in canon. Because my sister is a very fussy science student, she feels that it is very unlikely for Shikadai to inherit Gaara's magnet release based on her perusal of genetics. Plus, he would no doubt find it troublesome to have to learn so many things... So sorry to all readers who are disappointed by this revelation, but we still hope that you will continue to read, follow and REVIEW this story :) **

**Disclaimer: We would love to own Naruto... but sadly we don't. If my sister owned Naruto, it would really be called 'Shikamaru Shippuden'.**

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 _Four years later in Suna…_

Gaara heaved a sigh of relief as he filed away the last of the paperwork for the day. The towering piles of reports and treaties that had dominated the space on his desk had finally disappeared, leaving the mahogany surface clean and blissfully empty. He picked up his sand gourd that was leaning against the wall, then locked the door to his office as he stepped out into the bustling streets of Sunagakure.

The last wisps of daylight were beginning to fade away from the desert, the bright colours of red and orange slowly consumed by the black of night. Along with the sun, the unbearable heat had disappeared too, replaced by the cool evening air. It was the nicest weather on any day in Suna, with the heat mostly dissipated while the freezing temperatures have yet to set in.

Though he prided himself for remaining level-headed even in the most dire of situations, the formidable Godaime Kazekage* still felt a little jittery on his walk home. Whatever happens later would be his four year old nephew's first memory of him and Suna, so he was determined to make it a happy one. Despite having met his sister's child multiple times in the past four years, Shikadai was either asleep or staring into empty space with blank eyes whenever he dropped by, so Gaara was doubtful that his nephew would have any impression of him. To top it off, since he was next to clueless about dealing with small children, it would be even more difficult for Shikadai to accept him.

Shaking his head to clear his worried thoughts, Gaara took a deep breath before opening the door to his house. He hid in the shadows at the corridor, taking the time to quietly observe the other occupants before revealing himself.

His eyes brightened when he saw his sister and brother-in-law at the table, tidying up papers into neat piles and occasionally jotting down notes on some documents, no doubt in busy preparation for the Shinobi Union meeting tomorrow. Temari's fan leaned against its usual spot on the wall, just as it had always been before she got married. Despite being a Konoha native, Shikamaru seemed to fit into the landscape so perfectly, it looked as if he had been living in Suna his whole life. It was even more heartwarming when he saw the object of his anxiety walk up to the table where his father and mother were seated, picking up a paper and scrunching up his face, trying to read the characters on it before throwing it back down onto the table, muttering something along the lines of "How troublesome!".

However, Gaara didn't know whether to feel jealous or relieved, when he saw Kankuro carry their nephew away from the table. His elder brother proceeded to give Shikadai a piggy back ride on his shoulders, making the little boy squeal in delight.

"Would Shikadai accept me as easily?" Gaara thought. "After all, Kankuro's always the funny one…" He was snapped out of his reverie when his elder brother beckoned him.

"Yo, Gaara! Don't just stand there, come meet your nephew!" Kankuro called good-naturedly. Suppressing a gulp, Gaara stepped forward, trying to force a natural smile on his face as he waved to his nephew.

"Hello… Shikadai…" He offered hesitantly. "I'm your uncle Gaara, nice to meet you."

Shikadai studied him for a moment, his large teal eyes travelling up and down his frame, making Gaara feel as if he were a specimen in a glass jar. He shifted uncomfortably, and his sand seemed to sense his mild distress, as it slowly seeped out of the gourd.

Gaara jolted violently when Shikadai's ear-piercing scream ricocheted off the walls of the house. The frightened toddler let go of Kankuro and dashed straight for his mother, burying his face in her yukata.

"What's wrong, Shikadai?" Temari ruffled her son's hair affectionately, but Gaara could see her brows crease with worry.

"I'm scared…" came Shikadai's muffled reply through the folds of her dress.

"Ne, Shikadai, there's nothing to be afraid of, Uncle Gaara's not going to hurt you."

As if realising that his mother will not protect him, Shikadai quickly ran and latched onto Shikamaru's leg. He was instantly concealed by the long trench coat.

"Daddy, make him go away… I don't like him… He scares me…"

Gaara did not hear Shikamaru's attempts to comfort Shikadai, for he was too consumed with his own feelings of sadness. Hearing his nephew's frightened voice and piercing scream brought back memories of his past as Shukaku's host; images of terrified children running away from a small red-haired boy danced through his mind. Did Shikadai sense a remnant of the Ichibi within him? Did his nephew see him as a monster, even though he was no longer a Jinchuuriki?

"Gaara," He glanced up to see Temari looking apologetically at him. "It's not that… little children like Shikadai are scared of all sorts of things for no apparent reason… Don't worry too much about it, he'll warm up to you soon." She smiled encouragingly, making Gaara's heart a little lighter.

"Hopefully…" He thought to himself as he saw a small figure peeking through the folds of Shikamaru's trench coat. Shikadai was still cowering with fear, his large eyes darted up and down like a startled baby animal, hands balled into fists, clutching his father's pants.

"What were they even thinking? Isn't it obvious that Shikadai doesn't like me?" Gaara grumbled to himself as he watched his nephew staring out of the window. He was still annoyed that Shikamaru and Temari suddenly left him to babysit Shikadai so they could go on their 'anniversary date' (since when did they celebrate such frivolous things?), while Kankuro just had to go train the Puppet Brigade.

"Eh? Why are there no clouds in the sky? Even at dusk, Konoha has fluffy pink clouds floating around, but here, there are NO CLOUDS AT ALL! Why did Dad even suggest to admire the sky? There's nothing to admire. Wait, no wonder he said the _sky_ and not _clouds._ " Shikadai whined, while Gaara rolled his eyes at his nephew's lack of appreciation for the beautiful Suna sunset.

"I miss Konoha. I miss the clouds. I miss the soft green grass. Why are there no clouds and no grass? Why did Mom and Dad bring me here, then abandon me with this creepy Kazekage guy? They say he's my uncle… But I don't believe them, he doesn't even look like my grandparents in the photo Mom showed me! His hair is too red, his eyes are too pale, and even weird dark stuff around them. At least Uncle Kankuro's make-up looks cool." Shikadai continued rambling his speculations.

Gaara couldn't stop himself from saying, "I'm right behind you, you know." He immediately regretted when he heard Shikadai's rambling come to an abrupt halt and saw his whole body tense up.

Shikadai heard unmistakable voice of his so-called 'uncle', he couldn't believe that he didn't realize or sense his presence. He slowly turned around from his kneeled position on the couch and saw the red figure of 'uncle' standing there with his arms crossed. He pointed an accusing finger at Gaara and stuttered, "Wh… What are y…you doing here?"

"Babysitting you on your mother's orders… " Gaara replied stoically.

"Nani*?!" Shikadai came to his senses and jumped off the couch only to bolt towards his parents' bedroom. The door slammed loudly and the sound of a lock turning could be heard.

Gaara shook his head and sighed loudly. He was torn between confronting Shikadai to comfort and allay his fears or just leave him alone to his troublesome problems. Maybe it would take Shikadai some time to warm up to him, just as Temari had said. However, he was still very disheartened that Shikadai refused to acknowledge him as his uncle. "I should borrow a book from Sai to see if it has a list of do's and don'ts to help me solve my problem." Gaara thought absentmindedly.

Just as Gaara was immersed in his thoughts, his heightened sense of hearing picked up the unmistakable sound of kunai and shuriken clanging as they fell to the ground. His eyes widened in alarm when he realized that the sounds clearly originated from the locked room his nephew had just disappeared into. Fearing for the worst, he quickly dashed for the room, alert for any signs of intruders.

"Wow, this is so cool… who knew Dad had this?" Shikadai said to himself as he played with a explosive-tag kunai he found in Shikamaru's pouch. "Interesting… the kunai even has a paper attached to it… says 'explode'... Ah!" He instantly froze and pointed the kunai at Gaara, who had burst into the room.

Gaara's eyes widened in shock and worry, as he noticed the sharp, dangerous projectile that his nephew was brandishing at him. "How could I have let him touch such a hazardous object?" He mentally chided himself. "Temari and Shikamaru - no, scratch that - the whole of Konoha will have my head if he's hurt! What should I do now?" Before Gaara could think of a possible solution, Shikadai seemed to have recovered his voice.

"How… how did you br...break into my parents' room?" Shikadai stammered, his teeth chattering and fingers trembling as he tightened his grip on the kunai. Any casual observer would have laughed at the sight of a small child threatening Sunagakure's most powerful Kazekage with nothing more than a kunai and explosive tag.

"This is my house." Gaara stated matter-of-factly, clearly not amused by the situation. "Now, Shikadai, your parents are going to be very worried if they see you playing with that, so please put down the kunai _slowly…_ " He emphasized, while calmly using his sand to try and pry the weapon away from Shikadai's hands.

"AHHH! Get away from me!" Shikadai screamed in fright, before scrambling up the window and bolting down the wide Suna streets, kunai still firmly clutched in his hands.

"Wait, Shikadai! Come back!" Gaara shouted, cursing himself for scaring his nephew away with the sand. He jumped out of the window and chased after Shikadai, all the while wondering where did his sister and brother-in-law go when he needed them the most.

"Oh no! He's catching up, this freaky Kazekage guy is fast!" Shikadai thought as he saw his 'uncle' running a few steps behind him. "I have to get him off my tail… Yes, that's it!" He quickly ducked under the abdomen of a camel, then disappeared into the crowded bazaar.

"Shikadai, sto - Whoa!" Worry must have clouded his senses, for Gaara had almost bumped into the same camel. Quickly jumping over the animal, he scanned the noisy bazaar for any signs of a spiky black ponytail.

The bazaar was the centre of all commercial and social activities in Sunagakure no Sato*. As the cool weather descends, traders gathered to peddle their wares, the fragrant smell of spices and the bright colours of items on display were overwhelming to the senses. Camels, donkeys, horses, goats, chickens and all manner of domesticated animals plodded leisurely down the streets, quietly enjoying the refreshing night air. Children laughed and played boisterous games while their parents haggled with the vendors. Shinobi who have just returned from long missions took the time to catch up with old friends over snacks and drinks. Yet, for all its charming qualities, the Suna bazaar was the last place you would want to find a lost child in, which unfortunately was the predicament Gaara faced.

"Shikadai! Shikadai!" Gaara called repeatedly as he wandered around the marketplace, desperate to find his nephew. Even after enquiring some vendors about a small child with a spiky ponytail, he was still nowhere close to finding Shikadai.

"Heehee… he will never find me like this…" Shikadai chuckled as he wrapped the rug he had found tighter around himself. Yet, at this moment he accidentally bumped into a tall man with red hair.

"Sorry… I'm so - ARGH!" Shikadai didn't manage to finish his apology before he dashed away as fast as his legs could carry him. Quickly recovering from his surprise, Gaara chased after his errant nephew, determined not to let the boy out of his sight. Hearing the scream, a crowd of curious Suna residents had gathered around, commenting on the strange sight before them. After all, it wasn't an everyday occurrence for their esteemed Kazekage to be chasing after a small boy.

"Mommy, isn't that Kazekage-sama*?"

"Oh my, it is! What on earth is he doing here?"

"Who is that little boy? I've never seen him before…"

"Could he be an infiltrator? He's holding a kunai and Kazekage-sama is chasing after him…"

"But he's just a child… Where are his parents?"

Shikadai quickly turned around the corner and hid behind a large basket full of clucking chickens, hoping that he had lost his 'uncle'. That guy was creeping him out more and more by the minute. However, before he could even catch his breath, a large hand gently pried away the basket, and two pale green eyes stared down at him.

"Go away!" Shikadai screamed and sent a forceful kick at the basket. Not expecting the attack, Gaara jumped back as the startled chickens flew out of the basket. He felt dusty feathers fall on his face and winced as sharp claws tore at his clothes.

"Oi! You stupid brat! You're gonna pay for my chickens! Their meat becomes tough and they won't lay eggs when they're scared!" The shopkeeper hollered after a small disappearing figure. Finally shrugging off the last of the chickens, Gaara quickly apologised before running off.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I'll pay for your chickens tomorrow!"

"But that kid… Kazekage-sama?" The shopkeeper was left staring at the dust thrown up by Gaara, as he scratched his chin in confusion.

The heavens seemed to be unnaturally kind to Shikadai - and unnaturally cruel to Gaara - as the little boy soon spotted a large flock of sheep at the corner of the bazaar. He quickly squeezed in between the gentle, bleating creatures and ducked underneath the fattest one, thinking that it would provide the most cover.

"Teehee… there's no way he would find me here… it would be too troublesome to search one by one…" Shikadai gloated at his ingenious hiding place. Unknowingly, somewhere along the way, running away from his 'creepy uncle' had become a very fun game of hide-and-seek, and Shikadai was determined to win.

Gaara skidded to a halt when he saw the spiky black ponytail disappear into the flock of sheep. "Oh great, who knows where he's hiding now…" He thought dejectedly as he meandered through the flock, scanning the animals intently for any sign of his elusive nephew.

"Good evening, Kazekage-sama!" The shepherd greeted Gaara heartily. "There's no need to trouble yourself, sir," He waved Gaara off when the Kazekage tried to ask him for help. "I'll pick the fattest one for you!" With that, he strode easily into the flock, squeezing and pinching the sheep along the way. Gaara had no choice but to follow him, all the while keeping an eye for any sign of Shikadai.

Meanwhile, Shikadai was kneeling underneath the stomach of a big fat sheep. He watched anxiously as Gaara followed the shepherd through the herd, coming ever closer to his hiding place. Shikadai tried to even his breathing and calm the erratic heartbeat he was experiencing from the crazy sprint through the bazaar. He had to do this also to keep himself quiet and avoid being overheard by his formidable pursuer.

Shikadai could see the pair of feet belonging to the shepherd stop somewhere to his left, patting and pinching the hide of a sheep. The heel of the shepherd was facing him, thus he concluded that the shepherd must be checking on the sheep to his left and not the one he was hiding under.

"Hmm… Not fat enough…"

The footsteps shifted again and Shikadai unconsciously held his breath and coiled his muscles, ready to spring and dash out at any given moment. The footsteps resounded in his ears ominously as they came closer and closer. Suddenly, it stopped somewhere to his right with heels still facing him. It took all of Shikadai's control not to release the pent-up breath with one long sigh. Even though his cover was still in effect, it didn't mean that he could lower his guard. His heart was still uncomfortably stuck in his throat.

The shepherd was unable to make up his mind on which sheep would be the best for their Kazekage who worked so hard to protect their village. Gaara, on the other hand, was getting more and more worried as he still could not spot or hear Shikadai; his nephew's chakra signature was also too premature to be detected. Shikadai watched on with growing frustration, praying the shepherd would just choose the sheep beside him (it looked fat enough) and send his creepy 'uncle' on his merry way. "Geez, this old geezer is annoying and incompetent. How troublesome!"

Just as the last word left his brain, he heard the unmistakable voice of the shepherd behind him. "Ah! Finally! The fattest sheep for our beloved Kazekage-sama!"

Shikadai's breath hitched as he turned around to see the shepherd's toes facing him. "I'm so screwed… "

Gaara heard the strange sound nearby that didn't sound like the annoying bleating of sheep. He zoomed in on the sound and pinpointed the location, it was directly underneath the sheep he was standing behind! "Could it be…" Gaara wondered before lowering himself to look underneath the sheep.

"Shikadai? Is that you?" Gaara asked with concern.

"AHHHHH!" Shikadai screamed at the top of his lungs. When he turned around, he was met with the creepiest and the last face he ever hoped to see. "Not you again!"

"MEHHH! BAAAAA!" The sheep also screamed at the top of its lungs before delivering a sound kick towards his behind, which, unfortunately, was where Gaara's face was. Luckily, the sand that Gaara always carried rose to protect him. The hooves of the sheep were met with a strong shield of sand, effectively preventing Gaara from having a broken nose and bruised cheeks.

"Kazekage-sama! Are you alright?"

"CREEPY SAND! But now's my chance!" Shikadai seized the opportunity during the moment of chaos to escape and find a new hiding place.

Shikadai continued to sprint down the bazaar, trying to squeeze in between crowds, hoping that his 'uncle' would lose sight of him. Gaara, deciding that chasing behind Shikadai would be too dangerous, used chakra to attach himself to the side of the buildings in the marketplace, having a clear view of Shikadai's pineapple head and a human-animal-free route.

Shikadai could feel himself tiring as his lungs burned and his legs began to slow. He stopped in front of the Kazekage Tower, panting laboriously to catch his breath. Gaara saw this and quickly closed the distance between them, before landing as non-threateningly as possible in front of his nephew.

"Shikadai, are you alright?"

It was a bad choice. Once Shikadai caught sight of Gaara landing in front of him without a sound, he shrieked and turned around.

Shikadai was mortified. "Why does this creepy Kazekage guy follow me everywhere? Can't he give me a moment of peace?" He lunged forward to break into a run, but his tired legs gave in and he fell flat on the ground. The kunai flew out of his grasp and headed straight towards the tower, coincidentally implanting itself into the wall closest to the Council meeting room. The explosive tag sizzled ominously before a loud explosion resounded throughout the area. A large chunk of brown wall fell and crashed straight towards Shikadai.

"AHH! Mom! Dad! Save me!" Shikadai screamed helplessly as he covered his head with his small hands.

Without a second thought, Gaara jumped forward and stood protectively over the huddled form of Shikadai. His sand instantly rose up to form a protective sphere around him and Shikadai. The falling debris broke into smaller chunks upon hitting the sand shield, and fell harmlessly onto the ground.

"Eh? I'm still alive? But there was an explosion…" Shikadai mused as he opened his eyes. Pulling himself up on his feet, his eyes widened at the sand shield that seemed to appear out of thin air. Was this what saved him from the explosion?

"Shikadai, are you okay?" Shikadai's eyes followed the sand as it retreated towards its owner. Gaara kneeled down so he was level with Shikadai, scanning his nephew for any signs of injury.

Surprisingly, the boy didn't run off this time, he merely studied the strange man before him as calmly as possible. Then, any residual fear in his eyes vanished, replaced by a warm gleam of admiration and adoration.

"Uncle Gaara! You're so awesome!" Shikadai cried happily as he jumped onto Gaara and hugged him tightly. "You're way cooler than Mom, Dad and Uncle Kankuro put together!"

Gaara smiled as relief and happiness overcame his senses, yet slightly unnerved by how quickly a child's emotions could change. Though it had taken a misadventure in the bazaar and a near-death experience for Shikadai, his nephew had finally accepted him as family.

"Let's go home, Shikadai. Up!" Gaara lifted Shikadai onto his shoulders, which the little boy was all too happy to oblige. Uncle and nephew then walked home together, their easy silence punctuated by Shikadai's joyous, carefree laughter.

"Uncle Gaara, can I go to work with you tomorrow?" Shikadai asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Of course, provided your parents are fine with it." Gaara agreed, glad to be spending more time with his nephew. Due to the previous commotion, a crowd of shinobi and civilians had gathered around the area, gossiping at the unexpected turn of events.

"Ah, so that's the child Kazekage-sama has been chasing after! It's the honourable nephew!"

"Nephew? Oh right, the son of Temari-dono* and Konoha's Nara Shikamaru..."

"Aww, don't they look so cute together? Must be playing games in the market just now…"

"Haish, I guess I have to forgive the boy for scaring my chickens then…"

TBC...

* * *

 _*Godaime Kazekage - Fifth Wind Shadow (Literal translation)_

 _*Nani - What_

 _*Sunagakure no Sato - Hidden Village in the Sand_

 _*Sama: When referring to someone as 'sama', it means that he/she is of a higher rank than you and demands a lot of respect._

 _*Dono: When referring to someone as 'dono', it means that he/she is of the same rank as you but you respect him/her a lot._

* * *

 **AN: And so the fun begins... We hope you like our interpretation of Shikadai's attitude towards Gaara, since we don't think it is realistic for him to hero-worship his uncle right from the start. Gaara is, frankly speaking, a (very) intimidating adult, so it's not so much of a stretch to suggest that his nephew will be freaked out by him at first. On a side note, we did not make up the Puppet Corps, it is a legit Suna special forces that used to be led by Chiyo.**

 **Thank you for reading! Tune in again for the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Office

**AN: Hi all! We would like to say thank you for all those who read, reviewed, favourited and followed! We are really happy and grateful to those people who had expressed interest in this story. Thank you for all your support! Please continue to do the above :)**

* * *

The next day started off as a normal one for the Kazekage, but with a slight twist - Shikadai was seated on Gaara's lap, eyes wide with curiosity as he studied the Suna shinobi that strode in and out of the office. They all bowed in his direction and spoke respectfully, occasionally passing some important-looking papers to his uncle.

"Wow, all the shinobi here are bowing to me, even though they are Chuunin and Jounin and even ANBU! I must be really great… and powerful… and awesome... " Shikadai thought, flattered by the reverent treatment he received from the shinobi, blissfully unaware of the true reason for their behaviour. Bolstered with newfound pride, he decided to ask for a small favour from Gaara.

"Uncle Gaara, can you tell Mom and Dad to let me live with you? And go to work with you everyday?" He requested with large puppy eyes.

"Erm… Why?" Gaara questioned without looking up from his paperwork, surprised at his nephew's sudden wish to stay in Suna when the boy had been pining for home just a day ago.

"Because everyone treats me so well here!" Shikadai explained as if Gaara had just asked a silly question. "It's way better than Konoha! They're even bowing to me…" He added excitedly.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Shikadai's naiveté, Gaara tried to explain as patiently as he could. "Actually, they… " Yet, before he could go on, a series of sharp knocks interrupted him. "Come in!" Gaara ordered.

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees when the door opened to reveal three elders from the Suna Council, escorted by his former sensei Baki. The cordial but easy atmosphere had been replaced with a nervous tension, which made Gaara tighten his hold around Shikadai.

After exchanging the necessary formal greetings, one of the elders, an old man with a long white beard, cleared his throat and addressed Gaara.

"Kazekage-sama, we have been informed of a possible terrorist attack." He stated dryly, before placing Shikamaru's charred kunai on the table as proof. "The assailant appears to have used this kunai and an explosive tag to bomb the Kazekage Tower, with the intention of harming the Council."

Another old man continued after his counterpart. "And since this knife is clearly of Konoha origin, and there are only two Konoha shinobi present in Suna right now…" He trailed off and glared at Gaara, expecting the young Kazekage to follow his line of reasoning.

Gaara resisted the urge to scowl at the old men, carefully schooling his expression into a mask of undisturbed composure. "Thank you very much, but I'm well aware of the unfortunate incident, and have already subdued the culprit." He responded as curtly and respectfully as possible, for he was seething with rage inside. "These old geezers dare insinuate Shikamaru and Temari as responsible for such a crime! As if the Council hadn't given them enough trouble for their marriage…" He thought angrily to himself, but was quickly cut off by the third Council member.

"Is that so? Well then who is it?" The old man asked, seemingly unconvinced.

Gaara flicked his hand nonchalantly, before launching into his rehearsed explanation.

"Oh, it was merely a common thief who had the nerve to break into my house and steal the kunai from my brother-in-law when he went sightseeing with my sister. I chased after him and he threw the kunai at the tower in a panic. I've already made sure that there were no casualties and the wall is fixed -"

"You're wrong, Uncle Gaara!" Shikadai piped up. "Didn't we bomb the ugly tower together?" He narrowed his teal eyes disapprovingly at his uncle.

"Sh… Quiet, Shikadai…" Gaara hushed, praying that the Council members will not catch Shikadai's words. Yet his stubborn nephew blatantly ignored his attempt to protect him.

"Mom says you shouldn't tell lies, Uncle!" Shikadai accused indignantly. "I didn't break into your house…"

"What? Who is this insolent kid?" The bearded Council member demanded, pointing at Shikadai.

Gaara quickly tried to placate the livid elder. "He is my nephew, and please forgive him, he doesn't know what he is talking about…" He explained, hoping that the elders would dismiss Shikadai's words as mere childish rambling.

The second elder thumped his walking stick on the floor loudly, expressing his grave displeasure. "Gaara-sama," He reprimanded sharply. "You should know better than to allow a kid to meddle in the political affairs of Sunagakure, especially a brat from another village! It is very unbecoming and unprofessional of an esteemed Kazekage, what would the other dignitaries of the Shinobi Union make of you -"

"You bunch of old, senile geezers!" Shikadai jumped onto the table and shook his tiny fists threateningly at the Council members. "How dare you talk to my uncle like that? Only my mother can do that!" He shouted, dark green eyes blazing with fury. "And you even stole my father's kunai, you old thieves!" He crossed his arms and channeled all his murderous intent into a fearsome glare, reminding everyone in the room of the woman who was once Suna's deadliest kunoichi.

The elders' faces were twisted in rage, the furrows created by wrinkles becoming even deeper and longer while their beards were twitching as well. Gaara decided to sit back and enjoy the sight of the venerable Suna Council being put in their places by a small audacious child who was still shorter than the old men despite using the table as leverage. "About time they received a stern talking-to…" He thought to himself.

The angry silence was broken by a resigned sigh from Baki. Shaking his head, the elder Jounin said, "There's no doubt about it, gentlemen. This boy is definitely Temari-dono's son, he's inherited every ounce of her temper." The elders then huffed with contempt. "What is your name, child?" Baki inquired.

"Nara Shikadai-sama, honourable nephew of the Godaime Kazekage!" Shikadai proclaimed haughtily, straightening his back and turning his eyes to the ceiling, before boasting about his prestigious lineage as heir of the Nara Clan and descendant of the Kazekage Clan.

The Council members seemed to have recovered their gift of speech. "With all due respect, Kazekage-sama, it is best for your nephew to leave the office -"

"Shikadai-kun has no desire to meddle in any important affairs of Sunagakure, and none of the shinobi have any complains against him." Gaara stated firmly as he rose from his chair. "He has been an obedient child for the most part, so he is staying here." He then narrowed his eyes dangerously at the old men, daring them to contradict.

The elders glared at him before turning their backs and walked towards the door, while muttering something under their breath.

Gaara knew better than to let them off so easily. "And before you step out of the door," He warned, an intimidating edge to his low voice. "I advise you to think twice about troubling my sister and brother-in-law. As long as Suna is involved, their business is _my_ business."

A loud slam was all he received in response. Shikadai pumped his fists in the air, overjoyed at his unprecedented victory, while Gaara continued with his paperwork.

"Ha! We sure taught those old geezers a lesson, didn't we, Uncle Gaara?" Shikadai asked triumphantly.

"Sure thing, Shikadai, they won't bother us anymore. Come in!"

The door opened to reveal a team comprising three fresh-faced Genin and their Jounin-sensei. Gaara cringed when he saw the yearning, fawning looks on the girls' faces, it was beyond doubt that they were part of his already huge but still growing fan club (consisting of almost the whole unmarried young female population of Suna). Dealing with them is definitely going to be a headache.

"Gaara-sama!" The girls gushed as they batted their eyelashes at their idol. "Can we get promoted to ANBU now? We want to stay by your side and protect you forever!" They swooned, hoping to win his affections. Their high-pitched voices grated on his nerves as Gaara gulped and resisted the urge to gag, unsure whether he felt more disgusted or distressed.

"Girls…" Before the sensible Jounin-sensei could reprimand her pupils, Shikadai once again pounced onto the table and even brandished his father's burnt kunai at the Genin.

"How dare you pester Uncle Gaara like that? He doesn't like you at all, he wants _me_ by his side!" Shikadai threatened as he glared at the young kunoichi. "Argh, why can't all girls be more like Mom, she never talks to Dad in such a troublesome manner!" He thought to himself as he contemplated the eccentricities of the female population.

"You annoying kid, how dare you insult Kazekage-sama!" A black-haired Genin with her forehead protector tied around her neck was outraged that some ill-mannered child with an ugly hairdo had just ruined her chances of winning Gaara's love.

"That's right, what proof do you have that Kazekage-sama is your uncle, you little good-for-nothing squirt!" A brunette girl crossed her arms haughtily and tossed her hair, sneering at Shikadai distastefully.

"What is a obnoxious gaki* like you doing in Kazekage-sama's office, you are just getting in his way!" The third girl, a blonde, defended her friends.

Deciding to stop the quarrelsome children before a fight broke out, Gaara cleared his throat authoritatively and clarified, "Just in case you're wondering, this 'annoying kid' is my sister's child, of course he gets to stay here."

Faces flushed with embarrassment, the three Genin bowed repeatedly before Gaara, apologising profusely for their mistake.

"Sorry! Sorry Kazekage-sama! We didn't know he is the honourable nephew… We will make it up to you somehow… and we'll apologise to Temari-sama and Nara-sama as well..."

"Ha! Now you know never to cross the great Shikadai-sama!" Shikadai gloated happily, overjoyed at another victory over the hapless Genin.

Gaara rolled his eyes and maintained his usual cool expression as he beheld his nephew's wild antics. The Jounin-sensei watched the spectacle with an amused look, her eyebrows raised and a drop of sweat running down her forehead.

"I apologise sincerely for my students' lack of decorum, Kazekage-sama, they're always very… excited to see you." The Jounin bowed slightly and handed the mission report to Gaara. "The mission has been a success. " She then turned to Shikadai and smiled kindly. "Welcome to Sunagakure, honourable nephew, you really remind me of Temari-senpai, must be the eyes."

It was then that Shikadai noticed a strikingly familiar object strapped to the Jounin-sensei's back. "Uncle Gaara, look!" He pointed at her. "She stole Mom's fan!"

"Don't be silly, Shikadai," Gaara chided. "Iron fans are a common weapon of choice for Fuuton users here. You just don't see them in Konoha."

"Heehee, sorry." Shikadai smiled sheepishly at the Jounin-sensei. The team then bowed and exited the office. As soon as they left, another series of knocks resounded through the room.

"Ha! Who's here to kowtow to the great Shikadai-sama…" Shikadai boasted but his face fell when he caught sight of the two visitors. "Mom? Dad?"

Shikamaru seemed to be rather amused at his son's antics, and decided to play along with him, it would shape his first memory of Suna after all. "How's your day, the oh-so-great Shikadai-sama?" Shikamaru drawled, even adding a fake bow for good measure.

Shikadai was ecstatic, "Even Dad bows down to me! The great Shikadai-sama!" Just then, he noticed his mother standing beside his father, with arms crossed before her chest, a disapproving look on her face. "Mom! Why aren't you bowing to the great Shikadai-sama like Dad?" Shikadai ordered with folded arms and narrowed eyes, mirroring her posture.

Gaara shot a stern look at Shikadai, thinking that he should inform Shikadai about who the shinobi were actually bowing to, before all the flattery inflated his head. The last thing he wanted was for his nephew to turn into a spoiled brat.

Temari, unlike her laid-back husband, was clearly in no mood for games. "Well, Shikadai-sama," She emphasized with a caustic edge to her voice. "Care to explain to me what happened yesterday? The elders were giving us dirty looks on our way here."

"Huh? Nothing happened. Uncle Gaara brought me to the market, where we saw camels, chickens and a big fat sheep." Shikadai answered with the most guileless look he could muster.

Watching his sister's expression darken, Gaara suddenly remembered what Shikadai told him when he was spinning yarn in front of the elders. "Shikadai! What did your mother tell you about lying?" He admonished lightly.

Realization dawned upon Shikadai for a second before he schooled his face into one of utter disbelief. "Huh? Since when did she say anything about lying? You are going senile like the old geezers, Uncle Gaara!" Shikadai wagged a finger at Gaara with barely concealed disdain.

Gaara couldn't believe Shikadai had just put him in the same league as those geezers downstairs. He looked at Shikadai with the angriest stare he dared to muster, yet Shikadai seemed to have grown immune to them. "Interesting… One day ago, he was still screaming his head off whenever he saw me." He thought with mild frustration.

Shikadai scrunched up his face in deep concentration as he recalled his adventures from the previous day, before brightening up again, as if he had suddenly seen the light. "Oh yeah! I remembered what happened yesterday! Uncle Gaara and I were playing tag cum hide-and-seek in the bazaar. Then, we played Ninja; we planned and executed an attack on the Kazekage Tower, 'cos the building was too ugly and needed to be demolished!" Shikadai explained enthusiastically, waving his hands around as he talked.

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he took in his son's words. Though he knew all of them were complete and utter nonsense, he was still surprised that his precocious son was growing up faster than he had anticipated. "What can I say? He's inherited brains from both sides… How troublesome!" He thought to himself. Yet, before he could stop her, Temari stalked forward and slammed her hands on the table, glaring furiously at her little brother. Gaara maintained his stony expression, being more than used to her outbursts, while Shikadai yelped and almost fell off the desk.

"Gaara! How could you allow Dai to run amok in the marketplace?!" Temari accused, all notion of decorum thrown out of the window. "He could have gotten trampled by a clumsy camel, or scratched and pecked by crazy chickens, or kicked at by a grouchy sheep! He could have been seriously hurt…" Nobody dared to interrupt her as she went on about the dangers of the bazaar.

Gaara sighed and decided to exonerate himself. "Actually…" He began but was rudely interrupted by his rambunctious nephew.

"Ne, Mom!" Shikadai pompously shrugged off his anxious mother. "You should be worried about the useless Uncle Gaara instead!" He clucked scornfully at Gaara. " _He_ was the one who almost bumped into a camel, got scratched by chickens and almost got kicked by a big fat sheep! The great Shikadai-sama would never allow such measly beings to touch him. Ha!"

Shikamaru facepalmed and shook his head repeatedly. "What a troublesome kid! Parenting sure is a drag." He remarked while stifling an exasperated yawn. "I should have left you in the dustbin where I found you." He stated as matter-of-factly as possible, hoping to scare his son into obedience. The trick was a Nara heirloom, for it was used against Shikamaru by his own father.

Temari could no longer tolerate her son's nonsense, he was surely testing her limits today. "Cut it out Shikadai!" Her smouldering gaze bored into Shikadai's cheeky one. "What really happened yesterday? And stop calling yourself 'sama', you're just a troublesome kid."

Shikadai's hands flew to his mouth. "Great heavens! My parents actually agreed with each other!" He gasped in disbelief as he placed a hand over his heart. "Okay! I'll tell you what happened." He quickly prattled on with Gaara's thief story to placate his vexed parents.

Gaara was mildly impressed at Shikadai's yarn-spinning skills but chose to tell the truth, starting with how Shikadai found the kunai, the chase through the bazaar and finally the accidental bombing of the Council meeting room. After he finished, he flashed a sympathetic look at Shikadai, hoping the boy was mentally prepared for his parents' reaction.

"Shikadai you baka*!" Temari reprimanded before flicking her index finger sharply on Shikadai's forehead. The boy winced as he rubbed the sore spot. "How many times have I told you that weapons are _not_ toys?! You could have gotten yourself hurt, and blown up your uncles' house for good measure!"

"Chou baka*." Shikamaru muttered under his breath. For a budding genius, his son can be surprisingly dense at times. "No wonder one of my kunai is missing. And it's my favourite one too!" He chided as he picked up his blunt and charred weapon.

"Umm… heehee… sorry Mom, Dad… I won't do it again." Shikadai apologised with a sheepish smile. "But I realised I was wrong about Uncle Gaara, he's the most awesome person I've ever met! He can do all that cool stuff with his sand…" He rambled on with wildly exaggerated accounts of his uncle's courageous and heroic deeds, much to the chagrin of the adults.

After waiting for his son to settle down, Shikamaru reached out and ruffled Shikadai's hair affectionately. "Now that you two have finally gotten along, and the troublesome 'terrorist attack' is sorted out, let's get back to why we're even here in the first place." Shikadai pouted slightly when he understood that it was the signal for him to let the adults do their boring adult stuff.

As if on cue, Temari immediately began to discuss Shinobi Union matters, in particular Suna-Konoha diplomatic affairs. Gaara continued to sign papers and gave occasional comments, with Shikamaru offering some helpful suggestions as well.

Shikadai stared at the squarish characters in front of him as the adults discussed and signed many different papers. Soon enough, the characters turned squiggly and the adults' words became gibberish. Shikadai huffed, "How dare they ignore the great Shikadai-sama? Humph, I shall find my own entertainment then." He hopped off Gaara's lap and strolled leisurely around the office, occasionally gazing out of the window at the busy Suna streets below. Before long, he was bored by the scenery and found the perfect place to curl up for a nap. In no time at all, Shikadai was sound asleep, leaning comfortably against Gaara's sand gourd.

Hearing Shikadai's soft snores, the three adults looked up and saw him peacefully immersed in dreamland. They let out a collective sigh of relief, "At last, the great Shikadai-sama is quiet."

"Tch, troublesome kid." Shikamaru remarked. He was glad that the previously overactive Shikadai was no longer gallivanting about doing bothersome things and giving him nasty headaches.

"Lazy, just like his father." Temari commented, her tone a unique hybrid of affection and annoyance.

Stealing another glance at his nephew, Gaara's heart softened at the adorable sight. His sister and brother-in-law were surely being too harsh on the little boy. "Neesan*, Aniue*, I think my nephew is really adorable…" He offered, hoping that they would forgive the trouble Shikadai had caused.

Temari huffed at his ignorance. "Well, you won't say that if _you_ carried him for nine months inside you, went through hell to bring him into this world and have to chase after him 24/7." She reminded him of the less-than-glamorous side of parenting. "It's even worse than S-rank missions… you should include parenting in ANBU training… develops patience as well as the ability to stay energetic and alert even when sleep-deprived…"

Gaara smiled ruefully at his sister's suggestion, before continuing where they had left off. After a long discussion, they noticed that Shikadai was still nestled comfortably against the gourd, sound asleep.

"Looks like the great Shikadai-sama is still asleep, we'll bring him back now, sorry for the trouble Gaara." Shikamaru sighed as Temari gently picked up their son. The Nara family then left the office, leaving Gaara with some peace and quiet to finish his paperwork.

 _When leaving for Konoha…_

"Mom, Dad, do we really have to leave today? Can't we stay for one more night? Please…" Shikadai begged with his watery puppy eyes as he tugged on his mother's slacks repeatedly. The Nara family were already at the entrance of Sunagakure no Sato, preparing for their leave. Both adults have exchanged their formal wear for the standard Konoha Jounin uniform.

"No, we're going back to Konoha now." Temari responded as firmly as possible (even she was not invulnerable to puppy eyes). "Hokage-sama has already lengthened our stay in Suna to allow you to spend more time with your uncles." She explained patiently.

"That's right, son, your mother and I still have to go on missions when we get back." Shikamaru added, checking through his weapons pouch to make sure everything was in place.

Knowing that his parents were adamant on leaving, Shikadai quickly jumped towards Gaara and hugged him tightly. Gaara stumbled backwards, surprised by the gesture. "Uncle Gaara, I don't want to go back… Can you please help me tell Kakashi-ojiisan* to let me stay here? I promise I won't scold the Council again…" Shikadai murmured into Gaara's robe, a lone tear snaking down his cheek.

Gaara felt his heart pinch a little at his nephew's dejected voice, but this matter was simply non-negotiable. "I'm sorry, Shikadai, but you have to go home." He apologised affectionately. "I will definitely visit you when I drop by Konoha for official events."

Shikadai's face brightened up instantly, like warm beams of sunshine after a downpour. "Really? Will you stay at our house? I can show you the deer in our forest!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Gaara smiled. "Of course."

"Yes!" Shikadai leapt up and pumped his fist in the air, his tears blown away by the whipping winds. "Boruto's gonna be so jealous of me when I tell him about you, and imagine what Uncle Naruto will think when I tell him I got to be Kazekage before he became Hokage!"

Shikamaru and Temari rolled their eyes at Shikadai's silly plans. Of course he insisted on going to work with Gaara for some serious bragging rights. For Shikadai, to merely one-up Boruto was child's play, to one-up Naruto - the almost-for-certain-Nanadaime-Hokage* - on the other hand was a lifetime achievement.

Gaara's smile turned into a half-grimace when he pictured Naruto's reaction in his mind. "I'm sure Uncle Naruto will be very impressed." He replied evenly, ruffling Shikadai's hair. "You should get going, your parents are waiting for you." He nudged him forward gently.

"Bye! See you soon!" Shikadai gave him another hug before running off. He climbed nimbly onto Shikamaru's back, before giving one last wave to Gaara. Gaara returned the gesture, and watched on as the Nara family sped across the empty desert towards the lush green forests of Konoha, until they disappeared into the horizon.

He smiled to himself wistfully, surprised that he was missing his nephew already. Even though being an uncle could sometimes be even more troublesome than his role as Kazekage, he would always cherish any moment spent with his adorable nephew. After all, he had great hopes for the little boy, Shikadai will most definitely surpass both his parents as a shinobi.

And who wouldn't be proud to call him their nephew then?

TBC...

* * *

 _*Gaki - Brat_

 _*Baka - Idiot_

 _*Chou Baka - Super Idiot_

 _*Neesan - Elder Sister_

 _*Aniue - Elder Brother_

 _*Ojiisan - Grandfather_

 _*Nanadaime - Seventh_

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 **AN: Yay, another chapter done! Hope you found it funnier than the previous one! From Gaara Hiden, the old people in the Suna Council seem pretty obnoxious and old-fashioned, so we wanted to poke fun at them but it may be too much... We also wanted to put fangirls in their places, since they are very annoying and - according to Shikamaru - quite 'useless' (That's why he didn't marry one!) On a side note, my sister hopes Gaara gets married soon so there will be no more fangirls...**

 **Just another interesting fact about a small detail: remember the part about Temari flicking Shikadai's forehead? Our mom used to do that to us when we misbehaved... (it's actually quite painful when executed perfectly, try it on yourself if you don't believe)**

 **The next chapter is a bonus scene guest-starring our number one unpredictable Uzumaki family! Stay tuned :)**

 **P.S. I am so sorry for updating so many times! Cus I always forgot to add in translations for some Japanese words used.**


	5. Bonus Scene

**AN: Hello dear readers! This is the long-awaited bonus chapter featuring the very adorable Uzumaki family. Yay! Before we start, we would like to thank all those nice readers who favourited, followed or reviewed! Please continue to do so :)**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto but he helps us regain our faith in humanity...**

* * *

 _Bonus scene: At the Uzumaki household a few days later…_

"Nani*?!" Naruto's eyebrows shot up in astonishment, his blue eyes blazing more intensely than usual. "What did you just say?" He demanded impatiently after recovering his senses, as if he were a child asking his parent to repeat the most exciting part of the story.

Shikamaru face-palmed and shook his head, muttering "How troublesome!" repeatedly under his breath. At any mention of the word "Hokage", his friend will transform from a responsible adult to a brash child, and this behaviour did not change even in front of actual children. "Tell me again why I have to be advisor to this guy…" He mumbled, only to be silenced with a sharp glare from Temari. Unlike her husband, Temari seemed unfazed by the whole incident, and continued chatting with Hinata. Hinata smiled affectionately at her husband, a light blush coating her cheeks.

To nobody's surprise, Shikadai insisted on visiting the Uzumaki family the day after returning to Konoha. As usual, Naruto and Hinata were glad to host them, while Boruto was equally happy for another playmate. After dragging his tired parents to the Uzumaki's house, Shikadai immediately started bragging about his adventures in Sunagakure to Boruto and Naruto. For once, his parents decided to let him have his way and settled down for tea with Hinata.

Shikadai gloated with a large grin that almost reached his ears and reduced his large teal eyes to narrow slits. Boruto huffed with contempt as he crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling, deliberately ignoring his arrogant friend. Naruto, however, leaned closer to Shikadai, and asked him to repeat the story with an overly eager voice.

"Nara Shikadai-sama, son of Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku no Temari*, was inaugurated as Rokudaime* Kazekage by his uncle, Godaime* Kazekage Gaara! His first order of business was to bomb the Kazekage Tower, because the building was too ugly and unbefitting of a Kage's workplace. His second order of the day was to teach the old geezers of the Suna Council a lesson for questioning the wisdom of his first order. His third order was to abolish the Gaara Fanclub, since it was an utterly pretentious and troublesome organisation… So there you have it, Uncle Naruto, I beat you to the Kage* post! Ha! The Hero of Konoha lost to the great Shikadai-sama!" Shikadai finished triumphantly, as if he were declaring victory at the end of a war. Needless to say, he twisted the story for more dramatic effect.

"Nani?! Nande* dattebayo*!" Naruto exclaimed as he collapsed backwards onto the floor in disbelief. Shikadai laughed at his expense and performed a victory dance. Boruto huffed and muttered "Dattebasa*!" under his breath, his cheeks hot with embarrassment at his father's failure to recognise such blatant deceit.

"Ne, Boruto, why do you look so glum?" Shikadai teased, his voice saturated with mock concern. Boruto huffed and brushed him away. "C'mon, admit it! You're just jealous of me 'cos I'm waaay more awesome that your dad!"

"Humph, as if I would be envious of someone who is afraid of his own mummy!" Boruto retorted, knowing that Shikadai hated being called out for his biggest fear.

"Well, at least I'm better than a spoiled mama's boy like Uzumaki Boruto!" Shikadai reposited without a hitch, trying to hide his flushed cheeks. He prepared to tackle Boruto but was stopped by Naruto, who calmly sat between the boys.

"There, there, it's not nice to tease and beat each other up." Naruto reprimanded lightly, before turning to face the other adults. "So Shikamaru, Temari, is it true? Was Shikadai really made Kazekage?" He asked expectantly.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Shikamaru slumped forward in exasperation, his face covered completely by his hands. "That boy can't even throw a kunai properly!" He added as he recalled the supposed 'terrorist attack'.

Temari sighed and shook her head, before recounting the entire slew of events during their stay in Suna. It was now Boruto's turn to embarrass Shikadai, as he laughed and pressed Temari for more juicy details. After learning about the truth, Naruto calmed down and chuckled sheepishly as he ran a hand through his spiky blond hair.

"Mom! You're not supposed to spoil the story!" Shikadai pouted indignantly as he crossed his arms and glared at his mother.

"Well, I can't send Uncle Naruto to Auntie Sakura at the hospital for hyperventilation," Temari remarked dryly, matching her son's glare. "Besides, what did I tell you about lying?"

"Oops." That was all Shikadai said as his face became as red as a tomato. Naruto smiled affectionately as he put a hand on his 'nephew's' shoulder.

"Well, you really got me this time round, Shikadai," Naruto said. "Just don't do it again. Bad lying is not a nice thing to do."

"Okay."

"That's great! Now can you repeat the part about the market? It sounded really exciting…"

"Oh yes! You see, Uncle Gaara…"

* * *

 _*Nani - What_

 _*Sabaku no Temari - Temari of the Sand Waterfall (I know the Kazekage Clan has no mentioned last name, but I thought this would be nice...)_

 _*Rokudaime - Sixth_

 _*Godaime - Fifth_

 _*Kage - Shadow (Leader of a shinobi village)_

 _*Nande - Why_

 _*Dattebayo - A catchphrase used by Naruto, it has no exact meaning (mostly used when expressing strong emotions)_

 _*Dattebasa - A catchphrase used by Boruto, it has no exact meaning_ _(mostly used when expressing strong emotions)_

* * *

 **AN: A funny and hopefully cute bonus chapter. After much consideration, we didn't include Himawari due to age difference, but please inform us if you know the exact age difference between the Uzumaki siblings! We (may) update it to accommodate...**

 **See you next time, dattebayo!**


	6. Chapter 4: Distraction

**AN: Hi guys! This is the last chapter for a very very long time, possibly forever, because we ran out of ideas and school started. You all can treat this as the last chapter and feel free to give suggestions, we may write more if we feel like it. Thank you to all those who favourited, followed and reviewed for our story! Please continue to do so!**

 **Happy Chinese New Year to everyone who celebrates it! (It has 15 days and is our favourite holiday for many reasons...)**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"The Chuunin Exams are just so troublesome. Why did I even bother to pass the first two rounds? All because of Inojin and Chocho... Now Uncle Gaara would come and watch me… maybe I should persuade him not to come… it would be less embarrassing..." Shikadai thought. But he was quickly snapped out of his reverie, dodging nimbly out of the way as a kunai sailed past where his head had been milliseconds ago.

"Pay attention, Shikadai! You're gonna get whacked in the finals if you are so easily distracted." Temari scolded. "Kamaitachi no Jutsu!*" With a wave of her fan, the wind sharpened into blades, forcing Shikadai to jump and take cover behind some trees just as he was preparing to use his Kagemane no Jutsu*.

"And now it gets even more troublesome… with Dad gone to sort out some weird stuff Uncle Sasuke brought back, leaving me to train with Mom… who never lets me go until one of us is out of chakra… " Shikadai grumbled mentally, thinking of a way to end the session early so he could take a nap. "How I envy the clouds… floating freely in the sky with no strings attached…"

"You're lucky I'm going easy on you, Shikadai," Temari warned as she folded her fan. "The exam grounds won't have trees for you to hide behind."

"That's right, almost forgot!" Shikadai mentally chided himself. "I have to deal with the troublesome woman first, before she summons the annoying weasel… let's see… how to end this early…" He scrunched his eyes shut, carefully considering his next strategy. "Hmm… it sounds good, but will it work? She always seems to know when I have done something wrong… but she may be too worried to notice… well, it's the best plan I've got, let's just give it a shot."

Cracking his knuckles resolutely, Shikadai jumped out and dashed towards his mother, forming hand seals as quickly as he could. "Kage Nui no Jutsu!*" He called, and his shadows duly obeyed his command, splitting into a few long tendrils that streaked menacingly towards Temari. Deciding to push her son a little further, Temari strapped her fan onto her back and leapt gracefully out of the way, not even bothering to use chakra to dodge the oncoming attacks.

"Great, it's working! Now I've got to be faster, she's not even using chakra!" Shikadai mused, his large eyes narrowed in concentration. "My plan is proceeding as well as I thought, I just need to pretend to push myself harder…" With that, he sent another strong pulse of chakra through his shadows. The longest, thickest tendril shot out at lightning speed, only to tunnel straight into the ground, narrowly missing Temari.

"Good, now I just have to keep her there, she's almost in position…" Shikadai gritted his teeth as he sent another calculated pulse of chakra through his shadows. From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother being forced to end up a little behind his back. "Yes! Here goes…" With that, he let his shadows stop midway suddenly, faltering slightly, flitting in between the darker shade of being controlled and the normal lighter shade, before disappearing altogether. He forced himself to slump slightly forward, contorted his face into a pained expression, before collapsing onto his side with a loud thump, with his back facing Temari.

Just as he predicted, it took no time at all for his worried mother to dash to his side. Even with his eyes shut, he felt her kneel down behind him, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Shikadai! Are you alright? Wake up!" There was a slight panic in her voice as she shook him harder.

Shikadai was struggling to keep his body still and slumped as he was almost bursting with glee that his mother fell for the trick so easily. He then discreetly moved his fingers together to form the necessary hand seals.

"Kagemane no Jutsu!" _Checkmate._

As Shikadai slowly stood up and faced his mother, he could not help the smug grin on his face. He relished in delight as he watched his mother's eyes widen in shock before narrowing in anger, utterly helpless under his jutsu.

"Tch, Mom," He used his best imitation of Temari's scolding voice. "A shinobi must see underneath the underneath, how can you forget that? Now you let yourself fall into a trap!"

"Shikadai! Once I get my hands on you, you will regret stepping into this world!" Temari snarled. "And I will make sure your head is never the same size ever again."

"But Mom, how could you be so heartless? You brought me into this world, remember?" Shikadai reasoned with a sickly sweet smile, enjoying every moment. To be able to taunt his mother without fear of being hit, such bliss. "Besides Mom, you can't move now, so you can't hit me. Hehe!" Shikadai stuck his tongue at his mother.

"I did not raise you to fight like this! Where did you learn such dirty tricks? Oh right, must be your father." Temaru scolded, before muttering the last sentence under her breath. However, Shikadai still heard the remark.

"Why is it that every bad trait I possess comes from Dad? So troublesome. But Mom, it's your fault that you fell for it. To quote Rokudaime-sama, a.k.a Kakashi-ojiisan*, 'A ninja must see through deception, must see underneath the underneath.' " Shikadai 'lectured', enjoying every moment of his mother's predicament.

"But you don't just deceive your mother like that! I thought you had fainted from chakra exhaustion!" Temari fumed, and Shikadai could literally see smoke coming out from the top of her head. He laughed even harder, whilst holding the hand seal tightly together, afraid that Temari would use his happiness as a distraction to break free from his jutsu.

Unfortunately, all good things (such as bantering with your immobile mother) must come to an end, Shikadai had no choice but to release his mother before he really ran out of chakra. He knew he would probably be beaten unconscious, but the sense of satisfaction emanating from subduing one of the deadliest kunoichi in the world for a moment was all worth it. Before his mother could do anything though, a messenger was seen running towards them, waving his hands to get their attention.

"Temari-san, Shikadai-kun, Kazekage-sama has arrived." He informed them.

"Thank you, we'll proceed to the village gates shortly." Temari responded curtly, all thoughts of punishing her son now thrown to the wind. "Let's go, Shikadai!" With that, she took off, seemingly unaffected by his Kagemane no Jutsu stunt.

"Oh great… now Uncle Gaara is here to watch me… can this day get any more troublesome…" Shikadai thought glumly to himself as he trailed behind his mother. "But at least Mom tends to be nicer to me when he's around…"

Gaara stood before the large gates of Konohagakure no Sato, admiring the surrounding greenery. It's been quite a while since he last visited the village, so he took the time to enjoy the peaceful sights of nature. The vibrant colours were refreshing for his eyes compared to the drab colours of yellow and brown in his hometown.

"Gaara!" He turned and broke into a rare smile, as he spotted his sister and nephew running towards him. "How's your journey?" Temari asked as she stopped in front of her brother, a wide smile on her face.

"It's alright, nothing much happened." He answered easily. "Hello Shikadai! I heard that you made it to the finals, congratulations!" He said as he reached out to his nephew. Shikadai sighed lazily and replied.

"Yes, but it's so troublesome… and isn't it troublesome for you to come all the way here just to see me, Uncle Gaara?"

"Baka!*" Temari admonished by punching Shikadai lightly on the shoulder. "Hokage-sama has invited all the Kage to watch the finals. And greet your uncle properly!"

"Okay, Mom, sheesh." Shikadai grumbled as he shrugged his mother off. "Uncle Gaara, how are you?"

Gaara gave a small, sympathetic smile to his nephew. "I'm fine, Shikadai, let's go home, shall we?" With that, the trio turned and headed towards the Nara estate; Shikadai was trailing behind and staring dreamily at the clouds above while his mother and uncle caught up on happenings in Suna.

"Shikadai, go help your uncle carry his luggage to the spare bedroom, I'll be making some tea." Temari ordered as soon as they reached the Nara home. Shikadai nodded grudgingly then guided Gaara to the guest room adjacent to his own.

Uncle and nephew returned to the living room in time for tea. However, just as they were settling down, a series of knocks resounded through the house. Temari quickly rushed to the door, while Shikadai followed her, curious to find out what was happening. He hid behind the sliding door, being a quiet observer as usual.

"What is it?"

"Temari-san, the Chief Advisor requests your presence."

"Understood."

"Nani*?" Shikadai mused. "Dad asking Mom for help? Heh, that means she'll probably forget to punish me for my little stunt! Perhaps today will be less troublesome than I thought…"

"I'm very sorry Gaara, but I have some important business to attend to." Temari's voice snapped Shikadai out of his thoughts. "Shikadai, make your Uncle feel at home okay?"

It was more of an order than a request, since she 'asked' it with her infamous glare, as if daring him to disobey. "Yes, Mom." He replied while rolling his eyes.

"And don't disturb him when he's doing paperwork."

"Hai."

"Good. I'll be back with your father in the evening." She turned and exited the house with the messenger, taking off in the direction of the Hokage Building, leaving Shikadai and Gaara alone in the Nara Estate.

"Haish, sorry Uncle Gaara, but Mom and Dad will be gone for quite some time." Shikadai filled in his uncle lazily. "Probably working on that weird code thing Uncle Sasuke brought back."

"Okay." Gaara answered, unsure of what to do now that his sister was gone. Uncle and nephew stared at each other awkwardly for quite some time, shifting uneasily in the sudden silence. Shikadai stared into Gaara's eyes, still unused to the pale green even after spending quite some time together. "It still gives me the creeps," Shikadai thought.

Shikadai yawned and stretched his arms, effectively breaking the increasingly awkward silence. "So, Uncle Gaara, do you have any paperwork to do?" He asked.

Deciding to spend more time with his nephew, Gaara replied, "Not much, I can do them tonight after dinner. What do you want to do, Shikadai?"

Shikadai gave a small smile. "Let's play shougi!" He proclaimed, before running to his father's study to grab the board and pieces.

"Ne, Uncle Gaara, you're not very good at this, aren't you?" Shikadai commented as he removed Gaara's defeated piece from the board. "Even Mirai-neesan* is better than you! And trust me, she's terrible."

Pretending to be taken aback by his nephew's comment, Gaara scratched the back of his head uneasily as he contemplated his next move. "Sorry Shikadai," He admitted. "I'm not as good as your parents."

Shikadai, blissfully ignorant of the fact that Gaara was giving him free pieces at the start, smiled innocently. After settling into an easy silence punctuated by the movement of pieces across the board, Shikadai decided to ask Gaara about the Chuunin Exams.

"Uncle Gaara, were there Chuunin Exams during your time?"

"Of course, they have always been there, how would Genin otherwise be promoted?" Gaara answered dismissively, as if stating a blatantly obvious fact.

Shikadai pursed his lips, contemplating Gaara's response. "But they are so troublesome… Why can't they find other ways to promote Genin, I don't really want to fight anybody…" He drawled as he moved his knight piece ahead.

After taking a sip of tea, Gaara replied. "You shouldn't say that, there wouldn't be _you_ without the Chuunin Exams." He moved his own piece forward, swallowing Shikadai's knight in the process.

However, Shikadai was much too surprised about this newfound fact that he did not notice his missing piece. "Huh? Really? Why?" He asked, an excited gleam in his teal eyes. "Tell me, Uncle Gaara!"

Gaara chuckled. "That's how your parents met, at the Chuunin Exam finals."

Shikadai's eyes widened, this was getting really interesting. Feigning nonchalance, he huffed, "Really? That's fascinating, both of them are always reluctant to tell me, so I was beginning to suspect that they were arranged to marry each other as part of some Suna-Konoha peace treaty… The way they act towards each other shows it too…"

Gaara almost spat out his tea upon hearing Shikadai's outrageous conjecture. Marriage in exchange for peace? What old-fashioned thinking! Suna and Konoha didn't _need_ them at all. Also, even as Kazekage, Gaara knew he would never force anyone, let alone his headstrong elder sister, to marry someone against their own will. Trying to conceal his incredulity, Gaara swallowed another mouthful of tea.

"You have… good... imagination… Shikadai…" Gaara spoke after a few moments of contemplation. He suppressed a smirk when he thought of Temari's possible reaction when she got wind of how her son viewed her relationship with Shikamaru.

Seemingly oblivious to Gaara's shock at his own words, Shikadai continued asking questions, curiously prying into his parents' love life. "So did Mom beat Dad into a pulp at the finals? Is that why he is so scared of her? That must be it! No wonder Dad is always so afraid of Mom!" Shikadai reasoned to himself as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He is even more terrified of her than grandma."

Gaara coughed, trying to hide his amusement at Shikadai's words. "Not really… in fact it was sort of the other way round… " Gaara replied, recalling the particular bout during their first ever Chuunin Exams. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered the old times. "The views of my nephew are really interesting..." He thought.

Gaara was jolted out of his thoughts when Shikadai shook his head furiously before asking, "I don't get it, how can you be scared of someone whom you have defeated?" Shikadai just couldn't wrap his head around the idea of how his dad would be afraid of his mom whom he had clearly beaten in their first ever fight. "Why didn't Dad ever gloat about it in front of Mom?" Shikadai thought. "Maybe I should ask Uncle about it." With that thought firmly in mind, Shikadai asked in the calmest voice he could muster, trying to mask his own excitement and curiosity. "Uncle, can you tell me what happened?"

Gaara put his hand to his chin as he relived the life-changing (in so many ways) exams, surprised that Temari and Shikamaru didn't tell their son about the fight, well, then he would take the pleasure to do so. "Well, let's see. It is quite a long story… " Gaara then proceeded to tell Shikadai how his father was pitted against his mother during the finals, and how Shikamaru used his ingenious strategy to force Temari into a favourable position before using the Kagemane no Jutsu to trap her, ending the fight with an unexpected twist when Shikamaru decided to forfeit because he deemed it too troublesome to continue fighting even though he clearly got the upper hand.

After the story, Gaara looked at Shikadai, hoping that he would be less confused about his parents' relationship. However, to Gaara's never-ending surprise, Shikadai gave him a weird look before shaking his head slowly, muttering, "But I still don't get it."

Gaara sighed and relented. "You should ask your father then."

This time, Shikadai shook his head resolutely. "Ne, Uncle Gaara, I've tried but it never works. Our exchanges usually go like this." The boy then stood up and pretended to ask an imaginary Shikamaru in a whiny but curious voice.

"Dad, why did you marry Mom? She's such a troublesome woman, why couldn't you find a gentle, doting mother for me, like Auntie Hinata?"

He then pulled himself to his full height, and stroked the air under his chin thoughtfully, as if stroking an imaginary goatee. Needless to say, he was impersonating his father.

"Well, Shikadai, it's complicated. But even the toughest woman will show her gentle side to the man she loves." He said in his version of Shikamaru's 'wise-old-man' voice.

Shikadai then switched back to role-play himself. "She's not gentle at all! She's downright scary." He argued, utterly unconvinced.

Shikadai proceeded to look up to the ceiling dreamily, and answered in a rather sappy, nostalgic tone, "She's scary, yes, but she has the most beautiful smile,", even adding a deep sigh at the end for emphasis.

He turned and pretended to ruffle the hair of an imaginary child. "You will understand when you grow up, Shikadai. I have to go grab something for your mother now, you know what will happen if I don't."

After viewing his nephew's mini theatre production, Gaara stared at him with his usual emotionless expression. There was only one thing he could say now.

"Then I guess you will only truly understand when you grow up." He deadpanned, glad to finally drop the troublesome subject.

"Nani? How troublesome!" Shikadai exclaimed as he flopped onto the tatami mat, visibly disappointed at his uncle's lack of response. "Your turn now, Uncle."

Gaara then moved his knight piece forward and calmly swallowed Shikadai's king piece. "Checkmate." He added with finality, crossing his arms and jutting out his chin slightly, with all the finesse befitting a powerful Kazekage.

Shikadai sat up immediately, his eyes widened in shock as he studied the board. "Nani? How could you beat me, Uncle Gaara!" He pouted indignantly. "I clearly had the upper hand!"

Gaara maintained his intimidating yet calm expression. "You are too easily distracted."

Shikadai's eyes instantly flared up as he glared at his uncle. "Rematch!" He demanded, before rearranging the pieces in a frenzy.

"So is your training for the finals going well?" Gaara asked after they had settled comfortably into the second match. "Are you prepared?"

"Well, it was fine at the start, Dad taught me a few new shadow jutsu and helped me improve my old jutsu." Shikadai replied. "Then he had to go help Uncle Naruto - I mean, Hokage-sama - with the weird code that Uncle Sasuke brought back, so Mom helped me with training instead. It was terribly troublesome and tiring, she would always push me until I'm almost out of chakra…" He complained as he moved his piece forward, hoping to elicit some sympathy from his uncle.

"But, today I finally beat her in sparring!" He proclaimed smugly at the end.

Gaara's curiosity was instantly piqued, as he heard the unexpected proclamation. "Temari isn't the type to give chances…" He wondered.

"How did you do that?" Gaara asked.

Shikadai then proceeded to regale his uncle with his outstanding achievement; starting off with how he used his Kage Nui to maneuver his mother into a favourable position, before pretending to collapse from chakra exhaustion, then using his Kagemane to render her helpless.

Gaara shook his head disapprovingly, and chided his nephew in his usual expressionless voice. "You shouldn't have done that, Shikadai, she must have been very worried."

Shikadai scoffed stubbornly, refusing to admit his mistake. "But she fell for it! Shinobi are supposed to see underneath the underneath." He defended.

"Well, that's when you're dealing with enemies, not your comrades." Gaara countered. "And especially not your mother."

Shikadai still maintained his disgruntled expression. "It's not as if she dotes on me anyway…" He muttered softly to himself, as he moved his piece forward.

Yet, Gaara still heard the throwaway comment. "Your mother," He tried his best to explain. "Has a… different… way of doting on you… but that doesn't mean she cares about you any less than a more gentle mother will."

Seeing his nephew's brows furrowed in confusion, Gaara decided to be more upfront. "You should own up and apologise later." He suggested, looking at Shikadai's face intently for any hint of approval.

"But she will hit me with her fan… and summon the troublesome weasel next time…"

"Well, it could be worse if you don't."

"...Okay… Thanks, Uncle Gaara."

"You're welcome, Shikadai. Checkmate."

"Nani?! Not again!"

"You're too easily distracted."

* * *

 _*Kamaitachi no Jutsu - Sickle Weasel Technique_

 _*Kagemane no Jutsu - Shadow Possession Technique_

 _*Kage Nui no Jutsu - Shadow Sewing Technique_

 _*Ojiisan - Grandfather_

 _*Baka - Idiot_

 _*Nani - What_

 _*Neesan - Elder Sister_

* * *

 **AN: Hope you enjoyed the story! Please read our/my other stories if you haven't already done so! Once again, thank you for your support!**


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